The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
In pressurized fluid systems, check ball valves are used to regulate fluid flow by allowing flow in one direction while blocking flow in the opposite direction. Typically, a check ball valve includes a check ball and a ball seat. When pressurized fluid flows in the direction away from the ball seat, the check ball is forced off the ball seat and the fluid flows between the check ball and the inner surface of the fluid passage. When the pressurized fluid flows toward the ball seat, the check ball is forced against the ball seat, sealing off any opening for fluid to pass around the ball. The ball is further contained in the fluid passage by a cage or other obstruction that keeps the ball from traveling into an outlet passage while otherwise providing an open cross-sectional area to allow the pressurized fluid to flow to the outlet passage.
Some pressurized fluid systems may require multiple pressurized fluid sources for the purpose of, for example, backing-up a failed pressurized fluid source. When incorporating multiple pressurized fluid sources that feed a single fluid outlet, it may be desirable to prevent fluid flow into the secondary, non-pressurized fluid source when the primary fluid source is pressurized. The same protection may be required when the primary fluid source is not functioning and the secondary source is pressurized. Previously, a system capable of these functions requires two check ball valves to provide backflow prevention into the non-pressurized fluid source. The two check ball valves require twice the packaging space as a single check ball valve. Furthermore, the two check ball valves would not coordinate directly with each other and may require additional time for the check ball valves to perform their functions. Additional parts and manufacturing steps also increase the cost of the system while decreasing its reliability. While these fluid systems are effective, there is room in the art for an apparatus for controlling the flow of pressurized fluid from multiple sources to a single outlet.